Game Changer
by Hart Matters
Summary: Lucas Friar is used to getting what he wants. That's just how it always went at John Adams. But come his senior year, Maya Hart transfers to her best friend's high school and becomes Lucas' newest Object of Interest. Maya Hart's changing the game. Lucaya!Highschool AU.
1. Introductions

_Hey everyone! Here's a new story for ya'. I'm hoping I can find the will power and creativity to update this more than my other two projects, especially that I basically have a plot laid down for this fic. Like/favorite/review! Let me know what you guys think and I'm always up for some constructive criticism. :) Hope you enjoy reading!_

 **Summary: Lucas Friar is used to getting what he wants. That's just how it always went at John Adams. But come his senior year, Maya Hart transfers to her best friend's high school and becomes Lucas' newest Object of Interest. Maya Hart's changing the game. Lucaya!Highschool AU.**

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 **Chapter One: Introductions.**

 _Beep! Beep beep beep beep! Beep!_

Riley Matthews reached her arm out to hit the top of her purple alarm clock, effectively quieting the loud beeping. It was 6:45 am on a Monday and the brunette high school girl was already up. She ran her hands through her long brown locks and made her way over to the mirror, checking her outfit for the day.

This particular day, Riley dressed herself in black jumper, flower prints scattered on the corduroy material. Underneath it she wore a yellow long sleeved crop top and black leggings, with white socks folded neatly to show just above her black boots. As a seventeen year old girl, Riley Matthews prided herself in a select number of things: one of them being her sense of style.

"Riley honey, today's the big day, get up!" Riley's mother, Topanga, hollered from the hall and was surprised to see her daughter's door already open to an all dressed and extremely chipper young girl. With a raise of a brow, Topanga leaned herself against the door frame and crossed her arms over her chest. "Well, someone's excited. Now, what _ever_ could be the reason for that?"

Riley grabbed her backpack on the floor by her desk, double checking inside to make sure she had everything. "Well mom, it's the first day back at school of course! And not only _that_ , but it's the _first_ day of my _last_ year of high school." Riley's brown eyes scanned her desk one last time before zipping up her bag and throwing it over her shoulder. She turned on her heel to face her mother again.

"Oh, is _that_ it, honey?" Topanga's lips widened into a smile, knowing exactly what had her little ball of sunshine of a daughter extra sunshiney.

"And Maya transferred for her last year!" Riley let out in a very sing-song voice and made her way down the stairs. Topping laughed, spotting a very important item of Riley's laying on her bed. She knew that her daughter would have a fit if she ended up going to school without it.

"Riles!"

It took a mere quarter of a second for Riley to come rushing through her bedroom door past her mother, straight of her fed. "Oh my god, mom. Why didn't you tell me!" Her slender fingers snatched up her pink cased iPhone off her bed, eyes immediately glued to the screen of the phone as she made her way back towards the door.

Topanga rolled her eyes and placed her hands on Riley's shoulders to guide her out the door. Riley had nearly walked into her dresser propped up against her wall while she was completely wrapped up in texting her best friend.

Topanga followed Riley down the stairs to their kitchen table, taking her spot beside her husband. "Ready for today, Cory?" She leaned over to press her lips gently on the man's cheek. This resulted in a gagging noise from their 10 year old son. Topping smirked and rose up from her seat and placed a very loud puckered lipped kiss on her son. "And what about my little man, hmm? First day of the last year of elementary school."

Auggie rolled his eyes and wiped his cheek with the back of his hand, trying to wipe his mom's red lipstick off his face. "Mom, please. Ava's gonna be here any second!"

Riley set her phone down on the table after sending one last text before looking towards her dad sitting in front of her. "Daddy, how did you manage to do it?" She then proceeded to take a bite out of her toast, looking at Cory for an answer.

"Do, what honey? I have no clue what you're talking about!" Cory paused from his bacon and eggs on his place, knife and fork in hands.

"You know exactly what I'm talking about!" Riley pointed her partially eaten toast at him. "How did manage to follow me into high school?! My history teacher in middle school, fine, that's okay! But in high school, too?"

"What can I say?" Cory smiled and went back to work on his breakfast.

Topanga stuffed her last bite of breakfast in her mouth and took her plate to the sink. "Your father learned from the best, dear."

Both the Matthews children looked at each other, speaking in unison. "Feenie…"

A knock on the door sounded and Riley nearly jumped over every obstacle in her way to open it. "Maya!" She opened the door wide open, ready to pounce on her long time best friend and although she did find a short blonde haired girl, it wasn't Maya.

"Nope, just Ava Morgan Stern!" She poked her head through the door, waving at the rest of the Matthews family at the table. "Auggie, Topy, are you ready?"

The brown curly haired boy rubbed his cheek vigorously until it was red from irritation as a way to make sure that the lipstick was all gone and his face was clear from all kinds of smears. Topping rolled her eyes and grabbed her briefcase, following Auggie out the front door to meet up with Ava. "I'll see you two after work. Have a good day on your first day!"

"See ya' later, nerds!" Ava waved one last time to the two remaining people in the Matthews residence.

Cory stood up from his seat at the table and finished clearing it up, bringing the dishes to the sink and rinsing them off quickly. When he was done, he looked back towards the door to find a pouting Riley Matthews. He grabbed his own briefcase off the floor and made his way across the room. "What's wrong, Riley?"

Riley sighed and walked towards the couch to grab her backpack. "It's just that I thought that Maya would meet me here like she used to in middle school."

As if on cue, a short blonde dressed in a black top with lace at the hem, red flannel, and boyfriend jeans appeared at the doorway. "Oh, come on, Honey. You think I'd forget about you?"

"Peaches!" Riley swung her backpack onto one shoulder and ran back to the door, wrapping her best friend up in a tight embrace.

Cory laughed and placed his hands on either of the girls' shoulders. "Good to see you again, Maya. But we're gonna have to go now, or we're going to be late." He checked his watch and rushed them out of the door.

In the hallway, Maya readjusted her messenger back across her chest and shrugged towards Cory. "Well, even if we are, Mr. Matthews, can't you just write us a note?"

After Cory locked their door to their apartment, Cory gave a very sarcastic nod. "That's true, Maya. What's your first period?"

Riley cringed and began walking towards the building's front door, "Oh boy."

Maya followed behind Riley with Cory taking his own strides next her. "My first period is history with Riles."

Cory then shook his head and walked passed his eldest child, opening the door for the two girls. As Maya walked through right behind Riley, Cory laughed. "I can't write you a note for my own class, Ms. Hart."

"High school, too?!"

* * *

Lucas Friar sat in his usual desk in any classroom, in the back and in a desk that wasn't in the center but wasn't particularly close to the edge either. He was slumped back in his desk, long legs crossed at the ankles with his fingers twirling a pen in his hands. He started to tap his pen on his desk, a habit he did whenever he grew impatient.

One of Lucas' best friends turned around in his seat in front of Lucas and snatched the pen from the other male. "Lucas, would you cut that out?" Zay Babineaux' eye twitched, somewhat annoyed at the insufferable noise. He let out a very loud sigh pulled up the collar of his yellow flannel.

"Sorry, it's just that Mr. Matthews is ten minutes late, why am I here on time when he isn't?" Lucas rubbed his palms on the fabric of his jeans and then pushed up the sleeves of his blue plaid shirt, about to place his head on his desk for a nap until he saw another one of his friends come into the room.

"Farkle? I thought you weren't in this class." Farkle Minkus walked over to both Zay and Lucas, high fiving them both. "I'm, but I thought I'd stop by to say hi to Mr. Matthews." Zay raised a brow at the standing male, a little hint of jealousy in his voice, "Not 'cause of his daughter?"

Lucas leaned back in his seat, intending to watch how this one would play out.

"Well, that and an old friend of ours from middle school transfered over this year for her last year of high school." The Minkus smiled crookedly at the thought of Riley. He checked the clock on the wall and sighed. "Well, I can't stay longer. I have library duty for my free period." Farkle gave a sigh and fist bumped Lucas and Zay before jogging out the door and turning left, making his way down the hall to the school's library.

Seconds later, Riley Matthews walked into the classroom straight to her desk by the front. Her dad walked in after her but paused at the door as if he were waiting for someone else. Then, a short blonde girl walked in, dragging her feet behind her, hands clutching the strap of her army green messenger bag. She sat next to Riley, dropping her bag on the floor with a loud thud.

Cory finally closed the door and situated his belongings on his desk before turning around to write on the green chalkboard. He faced his class and walked around the front of the room in the empty space between the desks and the wall of the door. "Welcome back from your summer vacations." As his voice carried on about the introduction to the class, Lucas tapped Zay on his shoulder. Once Lucas had gotten his attention, he nodded his head over towards the new girl in class.

Zay gave Lucas a smirk and nodded his head in understanding. There was an empty seat behind Riley, one he decided to take. He gathered his things and brought them over, sliding into the vacant desk. "Hey, suga'," Zay whispered. Riley smiled and rolled her eyes, opening up a notebook and taking notes.

The blonde leaned forward in her seat to place an elbow on her desk, placing her cheek into the palm of her hand. The back of her flannel and top rose up in the action, giving Lucas the opportunity to see the two dimples at her lower back. Quickly, he grabbed his backpack off the flower and walked to the desk behind her, catching the attention of the boy sitting in it. "Hayley, you mind if we switched seats? I had to get glasses last week, but they haven't even come in yet."

Hayley, a long haired brunette girl with large hazel eyes, looked up at Lucas with a blush tinting her cheeks. It took her a bit to register what he had said, but when Lucas flashed his pearly whites at her, she nodded her head quickly. "Thanks," he said, smiling wider as she gathered all her belongings, heading towards his seat in the back.

Lucas sat down in his new seat and leaned forward, whispering over to the girl in front of him. "Hey, are you new here? Haven't seen you around these parts." Whenever he would try to pick up a girl, he often reverted back to his Texas habits and sayings.

Slowly, the blonde turned around, her blonde curled hair bouncing with the motion. She gave him a very sweet smile, green eyes crinkling at the corners. She let out a chuckle and nodded her head slowly. "You could say that, Tex."

Riley's head turned slightly towards the two, mimicking Zay who was already tuned into the exchange. A small knowing smile appeared on both of their faces, both for different reasons. Zay knew Lucas' game. Riley Knew Maya's.

"Tex, huh?" Lucas laughed, keeping his voice low as not to disrupt the class and draw the attention of their teacher. "Well then, welcome back. My name's Lucas." Lucas smiled at his new found interest.

Maya looked him up and down before smiling again. Her eyes glanced at Riley, and the both of them turned back towards the front, crossed their legs, then flipped their hair over their shoulders. They finished it off with an exaggerated motion of their hands, as if to say, "Oh, stop it."

From the corner of Cory's eyes, he spotted the gestures and cleared his throat. "Ladies, attention up here. Your first quiz is at the end of this week."

While the whole class groaned including Zay and Riley, Lucas was staring at the back of this new girl's head, utterly confused and confounded. It made him even more interested, who was she? Just then, she turned around and looked up at him through her lashes, tilted her head and smiled just slightly.

She introduced herself.

"Maya."


	2. Player Statistics

_Wow. This took me longer than I thought it would to get out. For a couple reasons such as GMTEXAS, AMIRITE, and the fact that I actually started writing this chapter, got half way through, and completely scrapped it. It was horrible and I started from scratch. As always, I don't know own because if I did I would probably still be alive after Part 3 of Texas and not as confused._

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 **Chapter Two: Player Statistics**

Maya leaned forward in her seat, holding a painter's brush gently in her right hand. She currently had a nice mix between a tan and brown colors loaded onto its bristles, biting on her lower lip as she tried to concentrate on getting the shape of her object correct. She gave a frustrated sigh and peeked her head out from behind her canvas completely to stare at her model.

"You mind sitting still for once, Ranger Rick?"

Her model shifted from his pose, straightening up from his hunched position, chin rested on his closed fist that was propped up with his elbow against a knee, raised up by his foot on a rung of the stool. Lucas gave the artist a very perplexed look, a brow raised at her. "I have no idea what you're talking about. I've been still this whole time!"

The two were in art class, in a room that was set up to have Lucas in the middle with numerous easels forming a circle around him. He was today's object and it was done so to introduce how to draw or paint the human body and its proportions. Maya sat back and let her shoulders droop, pointing her paintbrush at him, her palette momentarily forgotten in her left hand. "No you haven't. You've been flirty eyes with Miss Pretty in Pink over there." With her head, the blonde motioned over to the brunette clad in the accused color, pink headband, pink cardigan, pink knee highs. If Maya didn't absolutely hate the color, she wasn't particularly fond of it now.

Lucas couldn't help but flash Missy Bradford—the brunette— a last wink before focusing all of his attention to the new girl in school. He gave her a smirk, the right corner of his lips curving upwards. Simultaneously, his brow raised in question again. "What's wrong, blondie. You getting jealous?" Maya gave him a deadpanned expression before shaking her head and going back to her canvas. "No. That's not it at all, but if you're okay with having a floating head in this painting, then go right on ahead. Keep battin' your pretty little lashes." She smiled ever so sweetly at him, the edges of her lips dripping with sarcasm.

"Lucas, you're free now. Everyone should have the basic shape down. Now it's up to artistic freedom," the art teacher was circling the room, looking at each of her students' works in progress. Lucas stretched his arms above his head, letting out a groan of satisfaction. As he lifted his arms above him, the bottom of his shirt lifted just slightly to allow the view of the dips by his waist that lead downwards. While some girls fought to contain their squeals and breathy sighs, Maya merely rolled her eyes and continued to work. The fact that he didn't get quite the reaction he wanted from her made him curious.

The dirty blonde boy stood up from the chair and took it with him as he made his way over to Maya. He placed the stool beside her and sat down, observing her work. She was cleaning her brush in a mason jar of water when he pointed at the painting. "Wow, are my biceps that big?" Lucas crossed one arm over the other, a very proud grin on his face. Maya leaned back to take a full look at her work before tilting her head to the side, furrowing her brows together. "Well, I was going to make everything large in comparison to that head of yours—you know, like you're overcompensating for something—, but that would be too cruel, don't you think?" Maya snickered when she caught Lucas' scowling face form the corner of her eyes. "Why are you even here?"

Lucas stood from his stool and started to walk around the class room, finding a place of interest at the sink right behind Maya's work station. He was looking at the different sized brushes and different paints. He picked up a tube and examined it as he spoke, "Well Pretty in Pink over there?" He motioned to the girl behind him over his shoulder. Maya looked over at her, noticing the way she was staring at Lucas. "Her mom's the art teacher," Lucas paused while Maya's blue eyes glanced towards the brunette teacher in her late 30s. "And her dad's the principal." Lucas gave a slow nod while Maya's shoulders slackened and she gave the same deadpanned expression as before. "Seriously? How cliché." Lucas chuckled and unscrewed the cap of the paint tube. "Oh yeah. So whatever she says, goes. She's also probably the most popular girl here."

Lucas made a motion with his hands and before he could squeeze any of the paint out from the tube, Maya grabbed it from him, managing to not spill any of it. "Don't do that. Paint is expensive." She grabbed the cap from him and screwed it on tightly. "My bad," he apologized and sat back on the stool, this time facing her instead of her painting. "But anyway, you probably don't care much about high school politics."

Maya glanced at the clock and decided that it was about time to clean up here. She dumped her water jar in the sink and started to clean out her brushes, feeling Lucas' eyes on her back. She gave a shrug, finally answering him. "Mm, well what makes you think that?" Lucas placed his hands on the bottom of the seat, gripping on tightly and he started to rock the stool back and forth. "Well, for one, you're friends with Riley Matthews and while she is a really good balance of an academically driven person and socialite, she's not one to care about the high school hierarchy." Maya gently dabbed her brushes on a towel before storing them in a pouch. She started to fold up her palette paper and threw it in the bin, when she didn't speak, Lucas went on. "Who is also friends with Farkle Minkus, co-president of the Mathletes and second chair to Riley herself, the president of Astronomy club. Which means you're most likely friends with him, too." Maya took her canvas and brought it over to one of the many wooden storage bins and made her way back to Lucas and her belongings. Finally, she turned to him, looking him in the eyes. "Oh you think you have me all figured out, don't you?" She started to pack things into her bag as the bell rang.

"Oh, but I _do_!" Lucas grabbed his books from a desk against a wall and followed Maya out of the art room. He had to speak a little louder now, the volume of his voice wrestling with the loud sounds of students spilling into the halls. "You're this calm, cool, collected teen age girl. Never particularly cared for your looks, but of course you didn't have to because you're just naturally attractive—"

"Was that a line?" Maya stopped at her locker to open it and dump her art supplies in and take out a blue covered workbook paired with a medium sized textbook, the same color blue. Her right eye twitched when Lucas went on with a smug look on his face.

"—You close yourself off to most interactions with people except for your best friend Riley, you hide behind a 'I don't care' attitude when in reality you do care, but showing you care shows weakness and vulnerability, and you can't afford to be hurt." Lucas was leaning against the lockers, waiting for her to gather her necessary materials before the both of them headed to the cafeteria. As they made their way through the double doors, Maya shot him a look with a raised brow, feigning boredom. "Is this were I'm supposed to do you now?" The two of the continued to walk and as they fell in line for food, Lucas leaned his mouth to be at her ear as he whispered, " _Here_? In front of all these people?"

Maya rolled her eyes at him, grabbing a tray and smacking it against Lucas' chest with a little more force necessary. "You're quite the open book, too, Friar. Just looking at you, I can tell that you're probably the star athlete of the football team—" "Baseball, actually." Lucas took the tray and slid it along the counter, taking food from the buffet style set up the cafeteria had while Maya waited beside him, having a bagged lunch today. "—And just so we stay clear out of the cliché that you probably aren't, you do pretty well in the grades department," Maya paused to notice all the girls staring at Lucas and glaring at her proximity to him. "Apparently, the school heart throb." Lucas smiled genuinely and Maya thought it was because he had heard what she had said and accepted it as a compliment and an ego boost, but in reality he was just saying a thank you to the lunch lady after paying for his meal. Maya paused and stood in her place due to shock, only slightly evident on her face. " _And_ a southern gentleman? Okay, _now_ you're straying too far from the typical high school jock cliché," She caught up to him as Lucas made his way through students and towards the lunch tables outside.

Lucas briefly stopped at a table that was completely occupied by girls, some giggling and batting their eye lashes at him while twirling a lock of hair in their fingers. Missy Bradford, the brunette from before, Maya noted, bit on her lower lip as she stared at Lucas as if he were a piece of meat, "Hey, Lukey. My daddy was thinking of getting me a tutor for math this year. I was _barely_ passing last year. It was probably because you weren't in my class to help me study! I told daddy that I could ask you if you could tutor me." Maya stood there awkwardly, waiting for the exchange to be over with. She cleared her throat, urging Lucas to finish whatever this was. This drew the attention of Missy who shot her a glare before putting on the innocent and flirtatious façade when she looked back to Lucas. The tall dirty blonde male could only smirk. Maya had only met the guy and she was _already_ tired of that sad excuse for a seductive smile. "I'm not _that_ great in Math, but maybe you and I can talk one-on-one study sessions later, yeah?" With that said, Lucas continued his trek outside with Maya right behind him. She was desperately trying to escape the zone in which one could hear that table's high pitched squeals.

" _Nevermind_ ," Maya said, quickening her steps to walk beside Lucas now. "I take it back. You're the jock who— _surprisingly_ —does well in school, hangs out with all of his popular friends which probably includes cheerleaders and a bunch of other varsity jocks, is an anomaly of a gentleman, but still has that over confident and cocky attitude to him where he thinks he can get every girl in the school." Lucas was nearing his regular lunch table at the far end of the quad. He turned to look down at Maya, smiling somewhat. "Hmm, is that what you think of me, Maya?"

Maya nodded her head, starting to take her backpack off as Lucas' strides became slower, taking this as signal that they were about to finally sit down. "Yeah, except the flaw in your 'I think I can get every girl' attitude is that you didn't expect me to come along. 'Cause let me tell you, Huckleberry. Don't even put me on that list of yours. You're not my type."

"So you think I hang out with a bunch of stereotypical top-of-the-high-school-food-chain students?"

Again, Maya nodded and sat down at the lunch table that Lucas sat at, not paying any attention to the people that were already seated. "Yeah, I do."

Lucas laughed and placed his hand on top of Maya's head, forcing her to look at his friends. Acorss from where Maya sat, Riley smiled brightly, her elbows propped on the table with her head in her folded hands. "Awh, Peaches. You think I'm popular? That's probably the best compliment I've heard come from this school!" The look on Maya's face was absolutely hilarious. At least, that's what Lucas thought as he fought to keep his laughter at bay.

Calm now, Lucas introduced Maya to his group of friends around the table. "Maya, these are the people I hang out with."

"Zay," Zay, the boy from history class smiled at her with a large white teeth-bearing grin and waved, before giving a fist-bump of a greeting to Lucas. "Smackle," A girl with her hair tied in a low ponytail to the side pushed her thickly rimmed glasses up the bridge of her nose and smiled at Maya. "Isadora, actually. But everyone just calls me Smackle." Lucas then motioned to two other people at the table. "Billy and Charlie." Billy was a tall deep golden teen age boy who seemed to be on some sort of athletic team judging by the letterman-jacket. Charlie was a tanned boy with brown hair, styled to the side. They both waved at her. "Farkle, and of course, you know Riley." Farkle raised a brow at Maya while Riley waved only her digits at Maya. "Hey, peaches."

With Riley and Farkle at the table, Maya hung her head low. She couldn't have been more wrong in his assumption of the kind of people he hung out with. She hoped that they didn't hear what she had said about herself to Lucas. "Wait," Farkle started to talk and Maya crossed her fingers he wasn't going to bring it up, "So you and Lucas are friends?" Riley shook her head, "Nah, she probably saw my text. I told her to look outside for us." Maya fished her phone out of her back pocket and showed Riley the unread text on her screen. "Sorry, Honey." Riley blinked a couple of times, confusion on her face. "Oh, so Lucas invited you for lunch?" Lucas was beside her, munching on his salad. "Nah, she followed me honestly."

Maya growled as she took out her brown paper bag from her backpack and placed it on the table in front of her. "I was not following you! We were having a conversation and you kept walking and I—"

"—Followed me here?" Lucas dropped his fork on his plate and looked at Maya with a smug grin on his face. Maya unwrapped her tuna melt and stuffed it into her mouth, avoiding his question.

* * *

 _Short, but I wanted to leave this chapter off with a small laugh. I'm going to think of more game related titles for the future chapters. Maybe I shouldn't have done that. LOL As always, leave a review. :)_


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